State Democrats may be down (in numbers) but they're not out (of ideas). While Republicans took over Augusta on November 2, winning the governorship and majorities in both the state House and Senate, Democrats from the Portland area say they're optimistic about reaching compromise and saving crucial programs from devastating cuts. Mostly, though, they want to demonstrate that they're not irrelevant.

"What the election illustrated to me was that voters across Maine are hungry for change, are hungry for something different in Augusta, and they acted on it," says Democratic state senator Justin Alfond, who represents Portland and was recently chosen to serve as Senate minority whip (a/k/a assistant leader).

He says Democrats will "not be obstructionist," but will continue "adding our plans to the equation." And Alfond feels galvanized "to communicate what Democrats are doing around business." He cites the Three-Ring Binder high-speed Internet infrastructure project and support for farmers as two examples of how Democrats are "committed, connected, and understanding" of what Maine businesses need to succeed and grow.

Like Democrats across the state and country, Alfond acknowledges that "the hardest discussions are going to be around" education and health and human services — specifically, Republicans' desire to cut from those agencies and programs, and Democrats' dedication to saving them (or what remains after eight years of cutbacks in those areas from the Democratic Baldacci administration). Governor-elect Paul LePage and Republican leaders have indicated that both higher ed and K-12 education, Medicaid, and other social services are all on the chopping block.

"We may be spending a lot of time protecting the things that we value, things like affordable healthcare, education investment, support networks . . . you move from progress to protection," says Democrat Diane Russell, who represents District 120.

But Russell hopes to "find a lot of common ground . . . to pass a responsible budget that makes sure that the burden is not put on the elderly, not put on the children. If people are willing to sit and the table and stay at the table, I think consensus can be found."

Still, Democrats have no plans to abandon progressive issues like investment in alternative transportation and infrastructure, re-examining the tax code, early-education investments, and weatherization.

New District 113 representative Mark Dion, who is wrapping up his duties as Cumberland County Sheriff and prepping to represent North Deering and West Falmouth, says it plainly: "I have no plans on being a 'passive' minority member."

Passivity is what put Democrats in this position in the first place, Dion says. "The Democratic message got tangled up in explaining the 'what' we have done when we should have been advocating the 'whys' that define our desire to lead. We needed to say more than 'we had done things right.' We must point, instead, to what are the right things that need to get done and why we are going to get there."

Jill Barkley, who lost her bid to represent House District 119, is running to chair the Portland Democratic City Committee, an organizing position aimed at building the pipeline of new Democratic candidates and volunteers. She, too, hopes to take lessons learned in 2010 and apply them toward the 2012 election.

"I'm frustrated with my party not being able to sell the good work we have done at local, state, and national levels," Barkley says. "We lost a lot of seats in this last election we should have won because people are angry and afraid. We responded by shying away from our accomplishments, rather than learning how to convey why we've done what we've done."

Maine's donkey party loves the rich and the poor — but can't protect both In the current legislative fight over Republican Governor Paul LePage's lust to slash Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) programs because of a $221-million shortfall in its budget, Democrats say over and over that they want to protect the poor, sick, and disabled people from whom the governor wants to withdraw state assistance.

Exploring deep within Hannah Holmes, the Maine-born, Portland-dwelling science writer, naturalist, and friend to all animals has turned her lens deeply inward in her latest book, The Well-Dressed Ape: A Natural History of Myself .

Why we live here By now, we've all heard what the people at Forbes magazine have to say about why Portland is at the top of its annual "America's Most Livable Cities" list. We apparently scored a lot of points on a "leisure index."

Gifts of the magi OK, so math isn't Poliquin's strong point. And he's a little shaky on consistency. But are those minor flaws enough to convince Santa to leave coal in his stocking?

Chaos Theory In less than two weeks, when Massachusetts voters elect Martha Coakley to the US Senate — let's not pretend that Republican state senator Scott Brown has any chance of pulling off the monumental upset — they will trigger a massive domino effect that has the state's political class buzzing with anticipation.

Instead of cuts: guts Let’s assume, reader, that you’re concerned about economic and social justice. For those in real need — people who are poor, sick, old, mentally ill, addicted, disabled — you want decent care. You’re concerned, too, about proper funding of schools, community colleges, and university campuses.

Elephant in the Room Platoons of state Republicans, energized by Scott Brown's stunning victory over Democrat Martha Coakley last week, are setting their sights on November.

ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE | July 24, 2014 When three theater companies, all within a one-hour drive of Portland, choose to present the same Shakespeare play on overlapping dates, you have to wonder what about that particular show resonates with this particular moment.

CHECKING IN: THE NEW GUARD AND THE WRITER'S HOTEL | July 11, 2014 Former Mainer Shanna McNair started The New Guard, an independent, multi-genre literary review, in order to exalt the writer, no matter if that writer was well-established or just starting out.

NO TAR SANDS | July 10, 2014 “People’s feelings are clear...they don’t want to be known as the tar sands capitol of the United States."